


Distressing Damsels (and Other Challenges)

by BasicallyAnIdiot



Series: That Fun!Vampire AU [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Versions
Genre: Distressing Damsels, Fun!Vampire AU, Gen, HoennChampionShipping, Hunter!May, Leap first, Slow Burn, ask questions later, vampire!steven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-07 21:59:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16416764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BasicallyAnIdiot/pseuds/BasicallyAnIdiot
Summary: It was supposed to be a quick, in and out.Dangling from the rafters of a warehouse, May figured it probably wouldn't be.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I planned for this to be significantly shorter and posted sooner. XD Anyway, May returns with her brand of leaping before thinking and the slow burn of the series begins.
> 
> Also, so you all know, Steven _is_ a vampire in this. There are some things he just can't get around. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

**Distressing Damsels (and Other Challenges)**

Simple, Wally told her with a cough.

Easy, Brendan had agreed.

“Go in through the topmost window,” Wally had suggested, “they won’t think to look up.”

“Unless they are harpies, but at least then it would be quick.” Brendan had nodded wisely.

“It’s just observation,” Wally continued, ignoring Brendan. “Who are they? Why are they gathering in Lilycove? Most importantly are they an our kind of problem or not?”

“Yeah, like do we need rally the Families or what?” Brendan added, heedless of the twitch forming in Wally’s eyebrow from his interruptions.

‘I’m going to kill them both’, May thought days later as she hung from the rafters of an old Lilycove warehouse. Her sneakered feet were hooked around the metal edge and her hands gripped tightly to what she could grab. Fifty feet of nothing hung between her dangling body and the cement floor below. Crates were stacked in rows around the lights, but not close enough to impede visibility.

There was an ominous creak and May froze from where she was monkeying her way to the service stairs. Tipping her head back, she watched earthy red dust fall from the next joint brace. Closer inspection revealed, she noted with a suddenly dry mouth, that end of the beam of the rafter was mostly rust. Risking a glance to the ground below, she noted that none of the creeps milling about seemed to notice the sudden cloud of rust sinking to the floor.

Her options, May concluded holding still, were not good. The longer she stayed where she was, exposed in the dim brightness of the light dangling from a rafter over, the greater her likelihood of being discovered. Dark clothes only helped in the shadows. She needed to move- but where to?

May took a hesitate shuffle back the way she came and froze when the rafter creaked again. It seemed to echo louder than before and a quick glance below her showed someone pausing in their walking to look around.

So going back the way she came was out. Going forward was the whole reason she was in this mess. May looked to her left, following the wiring above the warehouse light. The line seemed sturdy enough and from there she could swing to the next beam, or drop to the crates stacked nearby. But how could she get to it?

Licking her lips, she mulled her chances. Not great, but better than they were if she stayed. Carefully, moving as fast as she dared, May pulled herself up on the left side of beam, twisting to wedging her back against the curve. There was another ominous creak as she stilled for a moment. Planting her feet on the edge, she gripped either side tightly.

Her heart leapt up into her throat as she peered over a hair. May’s stomach felt like it had bottomed out as the people milled about like ants. It was a long, long way down.

She took a breath. Watching the wire to make sure it wasn’t moving.

Then another. “Be brave in the face of fear,” she whispered to herself and launched herself off the beam.

There was a moment of weightlessness, her stomach suddenly jumping into her chest. An eternity passed before her right hand finally caught the wire. Gripping it tight, her eyes widened when, as the light swung with her momentum, there was a sudden, sickening, _lurch_.

The light dropped.

Weightlessness.

Just as sudden, she stopped with a hard bounce.

May, with all her limbs wrapped around the wire, didn’t dare move. The light swung back and forth, slowing with each pass, almost 5 feet lower than it was before.

Her heart pounded so loud in her chest she could hear it. The veins in her arms pulsed with adrenaline. She exhaled. Inhaled. The air was clogged with the smell of the dust and dirt she had dislodged with her flirt with flight.

“Holy shit.” She allowed herself as the light swayed to a stop. May had to keep moving. There was no way they hadn’t noticed that. The stack of crates was closer now. If May held onto the edge of the light, a careful jump and she’d make it.

Her body didn’t immediately respond to her brain’s request. She took another breath, steeled herself and worked her hand open. Everything was shaking: adrenaline.

She took another deep breath, thinking about the breathing exercises she did in the dojo as she slowly moved to the edge. One hand gripping something at all times. The light tilted ominously as she brought herself over the edge to dangle by her grip strength alone. Wearing her fingerless gloves have been a good life decision.

Though she stretched as far as she could, her feet couldn’t reach the crates. Swinging was her other option. Kicking her legs out she swung back and forth, once, twice and on the third time let go.

May landed hard on the wood, tumbling to the opposite side of the tower, head sticking over the edge. The dark pants she wore ripped at the knees, bruising them. Behind her there was a sharp snap as the wire holding the lamp broke. The crackle of sparks seemed painfully loud.

Shouts broke out, reminding May she didn’t have time to be sick. Later. She could that later in a preferably safer environment. Stilling herself with the thought, May took stock. She was in, and climbing down the crates would be easy enough. Do it without being seen, another matter.

Bringing her body into a crouch, she observed the various pathways down the crates. Most put her in direct view of the alleyways that ran on either side, but one ran between crate towers sheltered from view. As long as none of the crates shifted she would be fine.

It was a careful scramble down- a mix of trying to be quiet and trying to move quickly before someone came up the service stairs to investigate. About halfway down, she found a piece of rotten wood that gave way under her foot. For a sickening moment May thought she was going to fall. Again.

But she tightened her grip, pulled herself up without sound, and found better footing.

Finally, the moment came when her feet touched the ground. Some tension eased from her shoulders when she landed on the dusty, dirty floor.

The grunts were crowding around the fallen light as few meters away. Up close May could make out the bright red ‘M’ pins each wore somewhere on their clothing. A company logo? It was a mixed bag of folk. No set uniform, but mostly jeans and tee-shirts in various shades of red. An odd choice for the humid air of the coast. All were human to her senses, just ones with horrible fashion.

May ducked out the other side and strolled towards the door everyone had come running from. Glancing both ways, she darted across the walkway for closer examination.  A fancy security reader was set into the wall beside the door, locking it closed. Much fancier than the rest of the warehouse. Suspiciously fancy even. It would be a problem to get around even for her.

So- May needed a key or another way through. Fast. The grunts wouldn’t be occupied forever.

Damaging it was out- if they weren’t already alerted to her presence a door off its hinges would do the job just as well. No signs of vents or any other type of ductwork big enough for her to crawl through. Two options left- she waited for an opportunity, or she made an opportunity.

She had never been one to wait.

Darting back across the aisle, silent like her dad had taught her, May hid the shadow of the alcove between two crate towers with a better line of sight on the door and thought about the best way to do this. She could steal a key and opened the door herself easy enough. Then leave it behind, or take it with her, when she left. She’d figure it out when she got there.

It went about as smoothly as she figured it could have. The grunt was stuffed between two crates in the far corner- not likely to wake up any time soon and easy to miss on a patrol. She had bounded and gagged the man just to be safe.

Past the door was another matter.

Stairs down led to gleaming steel walls and floor spoke to a well-funded group, whoever they were. So new she could still make out the shine of unscuffed flooring in places. A hum of dry recycled air, irritated her nose and she barely held her sneeze in.

It was an unnerving series of corridors and hallways. Maze-like and lacking any distinguishing features. No signs or arrows. Just a thin, bright red line on the metal walls for contrast. May briefly wondered how people found the bathrooms. Three lefts and a right later she almost ran into trouble.

A door opened somewhere ahead and two sets of footsteps echoed in the hallway. May mimicked one set of footsteps as best she could and turned a corner away. Though her heart pounded, the adrenaline not quite out of her system, May kept her pace slow and unhurried, her breathing soft and quiet. Matching step for step her unknown pursuers.

They stopped, May a heartbeat behind and a male voice, older more mature, closer to her father’s tone than Brandan’s, said, “Do you hear something?”

“No?” A woman replied, younger and energetic, “It’s probably just an echo.”

The man hummed, then added, “Double the watch for tonight. The vampire might have allies.”

“Yessir.”

May blinked and waited until she heard the footsteps turned away to breathe again. That… did not bode well. They, and she still didn’t know who ‘they’ were, spoke so casually about a vampire they clearly weren’t the average humans with the average knowledge.

Then there was the doubling of the guard. Did that mean the vampire wasn’t there willingly?

That… wasn’t possible, was it? There was no stench of corruption in the building- a sweet, sickly foulness May had only encountered a handful of times. Violators, those who would go against the Charter, were few and far in between, but not extinct. To hold anyone, creature of the night or human, against their will was contrary against the agreement the Charter solidified. An instant black mark on the soul, accompanied by a rotten smell to those that enforced the agreement on either side.

The entire complex should stink.

May bit her lip. Technically, she was only there to find out more about this group. There were no grounds or reasons to go searching for the vampire- she wasn’t _obligated_ to help. Unless she wanted to be able to look herself in the mirror tomorrow. A soft groan left her lips before she could help it.

Okay. Fine. She had to find a vampire in a maze, see what was going on, help if she could, and then boot it out of there before anyone realized she existed. Easy, May thought to herself, right up there with climbing a mountain even.

Brendan was the undisputed expert on magick in their little trio and, though May would never be able to match him spell for spell, she _had_ picked up a couple of tricks from the brunette.

This particular locator spell had been refined by Wally. It was a focusing of will and intent, the base of all spells, and desire. Desire to help. To obey the Charter. Find the vampire. Stake ‘em if needed. Free ‘em if not.

She breathed in deeply, held it, then let it go. Focusing on what she knew about vampires. Blood. Elegance. Deadly. A tugging sensation, faint pulled at the back of her mind. Too faint to know where exactly it was pointing.

More details then. Grace. Hunters. Predators. May breathed in deeply once more. The tugging was still too faint to work with. What else did she know about vampires? She tried ‘killers’ and was rewarded with the tugging ceasing.

She scowled, and focused once more. May had only really encountered one vampire for any length of time. He had laughed at her. Impeccably dressed. Beautiful.

The tugging became incessant, pulling at her so hard that she almost toppled over with the sudden force. May pulled back the ‘Beautiful’ and settled on ‘pretty’, making the mental pull more bearable. Wally always seemed to get it right the first time he did it- a shame he could never join them on a hunt.

Following it drew the huntress deeper and deeper into the underground complex- with only her memory keeping track of the twists and turns she was making. Doors were few and fall between. Aside from a pair of guards, the hallways were empty. Devoid of any signs something sinister was going on. Once May got the vampire sorted, she’d have to loop back and figure out what exactly was going on here.

The tugging brought her to a door. She tested the handle. Locked. Letting go of the spell, May eyed the door and figured speed over elegance was required. Centering herself as if she was at the dojo, May gripped the door handle with both hands and turned it hard until the lock’s metal crunched and the door swung inwards.

Inside the room was mostly empty. Except for one, very familiar, very grumpy, looking vampire.

May gaped. “You?”

Storm grey eyes widened in surprise. The silver haired vampire stood in the centre of the room, surrounded by a circle of inlaid silver in the concrete floor. “Miss Wildgreen.” He said her alias’ name lightly. Somehow her presence wasn’t enough to make him smile.

She snorted. “Steven with a ‘v’.” Her hand went to her hip, “Fancy meeting you here. Did they have a pretty rock for you?” Still no smell of corruption. She took a step closer, eyed the markings on the floor and whistled. Symbols May had never seen before, not even the old tomes Brendan liked to shove under her nose had anything on this monstrosity. The magicks shifted as coloured waves in the gleam of the metal.

This… was way beyond anything she knew about.

The vampire frowned faintly, somewhat embarrassed. “Not by choice.”

May lifted her gaze up at that, not liking the extreme pale of the vampire’s skin. A couple of days without food then. She’d have to be careful no matter how she did it. “How long have you been here?”

There was a beat of silence. “I don’t know.” The vampire sighed softly, “too long.”

Walking the circle’s perimeter, May searched for something she could work with. “How’d they catch you in this?”

Steven was quiet again, watching her as she made her way around. “Why do you care, Miss Wildgreen?”

He had a point. This wasn’t her business. She didn’t have to do anything and the Charter would back her up. May shrugged, “I‘m investigating these bozos and heard they had a vampire. Figured it might give me an idea about what they are trying to do.”

She scuffed the toe of her blackened sneaker over a mark, a slimy feeling prodded her and she shivered. “So far I haven’t come across any signs of Violators but…” May gestured to the circle, “This suggests otherwise.”

The vampire was still. Suit still immaculate as the other time she met him. “You’d be correct,” he said with a wry smile. “Vampires have been… disappearing lately. I was conducting my own investigation when I was captured.”

It was May’s turn to frown, “That’s against the Charter. The Mark of Corruption-“

“Means little when they’ve found a way to avoid it.” Steven’s small smile turned to a frown. “The Charter does not cover… ingenious ways to capture someone. Even if they are held under duress.”

That had been the subject of many meals and lessons with her dad. By nature of the agreement, Norman explained as he swiped his bo-staff at her, only what was written applied. The word over the spirit. There was no other interpretations except what lined the page.

May scowled, “Yeah, well, I’ll fix them.” There- a symbol she faintly recognized. Used for the direction of the spell’s energy.This one looked sharper compared to the one she had been taught, with more additions around the centrals marking.

“You’d have no backing from the Charter.” Steven reminded her, slim brows furrowed ever so slightly. She never saw him move, but he always kept himself facing her.

“We have enjoyed centuries of peace in Hoenn because of the Charter-“ May knelt down and started looking for any weakness she could find in the silver. If she turned the direction of energy away the spell would eventually power down, drained. Or it might blow up. She hadn’t gotten that far with Brendan in the tutoring sessions. “I’m not about to let it end on my watch.”

Which was the crux of the matter. Part of the reason the Charter had been so successful was that few had tried to circumvent it. The last thing anyone needed was both sides finding the loopholes.

“You’d put peace over the Charter?” Steven asked mildly.

“I’d-“ May grabbed her multitool from her pants’ pocket and opened the flathead screwdriver, “remind everyone why the Charter was created and enforce it accordingly.”

The vampire was silent. She hadn’t had a chance to focus on him before. Beautiful in the way that set butterflies wild in her stomach. Stupid, pretty vampires with their  lithe build that belayed their strength. If he had been human, May might have considered asking him out on a date.

Pausing in her work, May lifted an eyebrow, tilting the screwdriver to point at the vampire, “Now, the real question is do you want to stay here until another knight in shining armour comes along or do you want to get out of here and share what you know about these clowns?”

The vampire gaped every so slightly, mouthing, ‘knight?’ to himself once. He crossed his arms, light glinting off his polished fingernails. A half-beat away from being claws, “I’m not a damsel in distress.” Steven said stiffly.

May rolled her eyes, “You are trapped in a magick circle. Again. I’d thought you’d learn by the way, but if you really want to you can be a distressing damsel.” She tossed the multitool back and forth between her hands and asked, “You want out or what?”

More silence, then a soft, “Yes.” The vampire shifted on his feet. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

The Huntress, chuckled to herself and said, “Nope,” then jammed her screwdriver into the silver to lift it out of the concrete and away from the circle. A lot of things happened at once when the steel hit the silver.

Sparks and fire of the rebound released itself, exploding outward from the contact. May was flung back roughly, and by all accounts should have hit a wall. Instead, she hit a muscled firmness behind her and skidded to a stop.

She blinked at the hole in the concrete where she had been, the remnants of her screwdriver scattered in pieces around the room. The silver used to maintain the circle was on fire- purple fire- and melting over the edges of the carved symbols. “Woah.” Then, with anguished cry May added, “My multitool!”

There was violent twitch behind her, and the hands on her shoulders tightened. “Miss Wildgreen,” the vampire said, warm breath just behind her ear, and woah- that had every instinct in her body screaming to stab him. Or maybe jump him in a different way. Stupid pretty vampires. “Now is probably not the best time to worry about that.”

“Says you,” May shot back, adrenaline pounding for the third time that evening. She was going to sleep for days when this was all through. “I loved that one.” With a deep breath, she took a step away and nearly fell to her knees. The hands on her shoulders suddenly moved to support her under her arms, steady even with all her weight hanging. She was shaking, May realized. Like when the light fell but amplified.

“Miss Wildgreen?” Steven asked quietly, slowly lowering both of them to the ground.

Only when her knees and hands were on the floor did May reply with a, “I’m okay. I’m okay.” Freak out later, she reminded herself. Nail Brendan down for more advanced lessons and tutoring on circle breaking. Later. Freak out about being around a unchained vampire later.

Freak out _later_.

May flung the panic and fear away from herself, locking it down. She steeled herself with a few deep breaths. Glanced back over her shoulder to thundercloud grey eyes of the vampire, she added, “We have to move. There’s no way they won’t notice that.”

Steven blinked slowly, almost warily. Then nodded and stood up, the silk of his suit wrinkled in places and concrete dust settling on it. “Do you have an escape route?”

With a roll of her shoulders, May stood up, ignoring the offered hand of support the shake of her legs. “We can just go back the way I came.” Sticking to the edge of the wall, she watched the silver continue to expand and overflow its channels. The purple flames licked and burned the concrete.

The vampire walked silently behind her as she led the way back to the hallways, pausing only once at the door to his ‘room’. It was unnerving, knowing he was there but not making single sound. Even in the echo chamber of the corridors, May couldn’t place where exactly he was.

She was the only one who knew where they were, roughly, it wouldn’t make sense to ask him to walk in front of her. Even if it would settle-

Wailing alarms blared suddenly, cutting May’s thoughts to the quick. The fluorescent lights died, and the thin red line of lighting started flashing. She swore aloud and turned about face to the blinking vampire, “Not that way!”

“What do you- that’s the way out, isn’t it?” The vampire stepped to the side to let her pass, brows almost drawn together, following her.

May didn’t risk running yet, but walked quickly back the way they came, tossing back over her shoulder, “I may have knocked out a guard to get the key. If they found him, they are going to be expecting a fight.” She didn’t see it, but she could have swore she heard sputtering behind her. “I don’t feel like taking on anyone who came up with that circle.”

There was mutter, just loud enough for her to hear it, “And you called me a distressing damsel.” Heat rose to her cheeks, embarrassment running through her.

She glanced back, but Steven’s expression was impassive- even if his eyes danced with laughter, slightly crinkled in the corners. May scowled at him, almost ready to tell him off, pretty or not, when a thought struck her. “Hey. You’re a vampire.”

The laughter in his eyes amplified, he clearly was fighting to keep the smile of his face, but a brow quirked up. “Yes.” Steven replied dryly.

Do not stab the vampire, May reminded herself with clenched teeth. “Well then, vampire, what do _you_ smell? We’re in Lilycove, do you smell the ocean or fresh air coming from anywhere?”

Steven frowned at her briefly, then shrugged and took a couple of deep inhales, nostrils flaring on a sharp, thin, perfect nose. His eyes closed as he did it, a perfect opportunity to strike if May felt inclined. She didn’t.

After a few seconds, he opened his eyes, the pupils flexing from the large round circles to inhuman slits then settled somewhere in between in the dim lighting, and turned his head towards a hallway, “That way.” He started walking, long strides quiet.

May hurried after him, almost jogging to keep up with his pace. She didn’t hear the guards approach around the corner, but Steven must have because the next thing she knew one of them was slammed against the wall with a sickening crunch. The other was held aloft by his neck, scrambling for purchase as Steven tightened the grip of his hand. A blond, with green eyes wide in shock and fear, mouth open trying to gasp for air. The storm in the vampire’s eyes turned to steel as he considered his prey.

A cold lump settled in May’s stomach, chasing the thrill of escape away swiftly. “Steven.” She said stiffly. The green eyes of the young man bored into her, pleading silently. He looked familiar, though she couldn’t place him, “What are you doing?”

There was a long moment before the vampire tilted his head towards her, “I wasn’t entirely honest with you, Miss Wildgreen, when I said I didn’t know how long I had been here.” Under the flashing red lights, his skin looked almost pale rose. “They’ve had me for nearly a month.”

Chill settled in her bones. The memory of him right behind her, when she had been thrown off balanced by the botched spell, came back vividly. May would have been a easy target. In the voice that didn’t quite sound like hers, she asked, “Are you going to kill him?”

The vampire frowned, as if insulted. Perhaps he was. “I have far more control than that.”

She licked her lips, “That’s not a ‘no’.”

There was a hum, almost a rumble of distant thunder. “You are right.” Steven acknowledged. In his hand, the man’s struggles began to cease to jerks. “I am… annoyed with these people for holding me.”

May gritted her teeth. Let a hungry vampire roam was as bad a life choice as any other. Options. What were her options? Not many including... Ah heck- she’d done stupider.

Swiftly, May drew one of her knives from her left sleeve and cut her left palm decisively. Pain arched through her arm, stinging and burning as tears sprang to her eyes. It was her non-dominant hand and left her knife in the stronger hand. Just in case. With confidence she didn’t feel, May stuck her wounded hand, fisted, out at the vampire.

She saw the way Steven stiffened. His entire body going stone still. “What,” He began slowly, chest almost heaving with how deeply he was breathing in, pupils blown wide, as he turned to her, “Are you doing, Miss Wildgreen?”

“I can’t risk you losing it until after we get out of here and I won’t let you kill anyone. You said have far more control.” May took a breath and steadied herself, “I’m willing to bet on it.”

The vampire was staring at her, like he couldn’t believe she was real. May wasn’t entirely sure about that either, even with the sharp shooting pain dancing up her arm. This was pretty stupid, even by her standards. Finally, almost carelessly, he dropped the man. “Your conditions?”

She waited until she saw the fallen guard’s chest move, then added, “Licking only. No biting. Keep it quick. We’re still not where we’re supposed to be.” May broke the staring contest and turned her head to stare at the wall, “And stop calling me Miss Wildgreen. My name is May.” Then she opened her fist and willed herself not to look.

A cool hand cupped her wound one, and she fought the urge to flinch, to kick and scream. The first lick was surprisingly warm and careful, the rasp of a tongue over her palm was a weird sensation. Cleaning the wound, May thought, as there was a second lick.

Numbness had started to settle in as she lost count of the little sips, dulling the pain to a manageable level. The saliva maybe? Gods, what would her dad say if he found out? Or Brendan and Wally for that matter?

“Finished.” Steven said quietly, and May turned back just in time to watch him gently examine her hand. Satisfied with what he saw, he kissed her palm gently, eyes on her face as he did.

Then he let go, and stepped away, some colour returned to his pale skin even in the dark. The look in his eye wasn’t one she could identify.

May brought her hand up to check it and gasped. The cut, ugly and large, was gone. Just a thin scar to show it had ever been there. There was nothing in the books about _that_ vampire trait. “What-”

“We have to go,” Steven paused and tested the next word out of his mouth, “May.” His smile was soft. If she was a romantic who liked vampires May might have called it… shy or embarrassed. She wasn’t. It looked like he had a good meal at a restaurant and everyone had ordered duds. “Come on.”

He stepped over the guards and kept moving, leaving May behind until she started jogging. There were more twists and turns- occasionally encountering guards who then proceed to have a very bad day. Some kind soul had muted the blaring after the first minute. Only red flashing lights remained.

Finally, they came to a maintenance room with ‘Heat Exchange’ labelled on it. May took one look at the rushing water leaving the facility in giant half pipe and groaned. Steven leaned over the guardrail, to peer down the tunnel. “There’s starlight out there.” Compounding what the course of action should be.

“This is going to suck.” May announced and she jammed the door shut behind them with a chair.

Steven blinked, and the expression she had started to associate with confusion for him appeared, “... Was that a joke?”

The Huntress blinked again, and scowled. “You know what- Just shut it.”

“No time.” Someone tested the handle on the door, and Steven wasted no time to pick her bridal style and jump over the railing. Warmish water crashed over them, warm, salty and turbulent. It whisked them out of the facility and straight out over a cliff.

 

~*~*~*~

 

May sat scowling in the booth of the Lilycove diner they ended up at after dragging themselves from the ocean. The water they left the facility in might have been warm, the ocean was decidedly not. Salt clung to her clothes and shoes, itchy and uncomfortable even in the rainfall they trudged through to arrive. If she shifted, salt flaked off her clothes to land like snow on the plastic vinyl of the seat.

Across from her, looking like a drenched rat, Steven blinked slowly. His suit was definitely ruined and his silver hair hung limply in his face. Tea sat cooling in front of him on the fake wood of the table. Why the vampire hadn’t buggered off yet she wasn’t sure. Nor did she really care.

The waitress had taken one look at them and then led them to the furthest booth she had away from everyone else. A call had Brendan on his way with a change of clothes. Or that was what he had better been doing if he knew what was good for him.

In a word, May was done with this night.

The warehouse had exploded shortly after they got back to land. Going up in a violent violet flame and ruining any chance she had to figure out what was going on there. Sirens still dominated the normally quiet town. May quietly tried to pretend she absolutely was not the one to cause it. Totally the vampire’s fault.

A cup of hot chocolate warmed her hands, fighting off the chill as she waited. The newest scar didn’t even tug or pull at her skin.

“What did you want to know about them?”

May blinked at the rich cocoa in the cup, bits of the unmixed powder floating on the top. “What?”

Steven tilted his head, an arm stretched out over the back of the booth as he regarded her with hooded eyes. “I asked what it was you want to know about them.”

She took a sip of her drink, savouring the warmth after the bite of the ocean and sudden rain. It was supposed to be clear tonight. “Who are they. What do they want.” May nodded at him, “Why are they capturing vampires.”

Steven frowned softly. It wasn’t as nice as when he smiled. “I don’t know much about them. They called themselves Team Magma.” He sighed, “I also don’t know what they want but the questions they asked of me had to with the First Hunters. Wanted to know if I was old enough to remember those days.”

“Team Magma?” May repeated to herself, “They don’t sound particularly inventive, but that circle…” It had been nasty. The kind of nasty that maybe would have belonged to the First Hunters. She couldn’t quite conceal her shudder.

Steven hummed, looking almost human. May could still feel the rasp of his tongue on her hand reminding her that he was anything but. “I refused to answer any questions. They thought starving me would loosen my tongue.”

May mused that for another vampire, starved for a month, it probably would have. “So,” May stirred her spoon in the drink, thinking it over. “Do they want to bring back the old days or an artifact?” It had been part of The Charter signing she recalled faintly, not actually on the paper. Some things were deemed too dangerous by both sides and either destroy or locked away for safekeeping. Only a handful of vague references to these things even _existed_ after the purge was finished.

“Hard to say,” the vampire drummed a hand on the table, “I don’t like that they are stealing my people to do it.”

That was another thing wasn’t it- the disappearing vampires. May took another sip, “How are they doing it? They’re only humans, but the Mark of Corruption can still apply.”

Steven’s frown shifted to a grimace and he brought his arms to his sides. “Machines. They used machines. Robotics didn’t exist at the time of the signing so The Charter can’t recognize them as tools.”

“That’s a hell of a loophole.” May said after a second’s beat, eyes turning to the menu sitting in front of her. She opened it to the 24 hour menu, “So what if we updated The Charter?”

She watched Steven smile bitterly from the corner of her eye, “It was an exceptional series of circumstances that led to the signing,” He said, a thumb twisting one of the rings he wore around his fingers, “Ones that I hope never to see again.”

May set the menu down with a frown. Her mouth opened once, then twice, before she was finally able to ask, “How old _are_ you?”

“Almost as old as the rocks he loves so much.” A new voice cut in, smooth and melodious. The white rain jacket this vampire wore had a stylish cut to the collar, with the same lithe build as Steven. Blue hair was kept tamed under a equally white puffy hat. Like dough that risen then collapsed.

Without looking away Steven shifted down his seat, letting the new man slide in. “Wallace.” Steven greeted dryly, “so good of you to come.”

Wallace glanced at the vampire and shook his head with a loud ‘tsk’, “Steven, my friend, you look positively awful.”

The vampire twitched.

May stifled her giggle with a cough, too tired to try and hold it in. Sadly, this drew the new vampire’s attention on her and he arched a brow. “And who is this lovely lady? Is this why you didn’t make it to the meeting last week? I can’t blame you.”

“Wallace, behave.” Steven said lightly, “May, this is Wallace. Wallace, May. If you give her a reason to, she’ll kill you.” Cheekily, May gave a gleeful wave.

Wallace was unperturbed, and gracefully put a hand out. Cautiously, May returned the gesture expecting a handshake and was rewarded with the new vampire kissing the back of her hand like a gentleman would. “It is a pleasure to meet you, May.” Wallace said, almost reluctant to let her hand go. “Has anyone told you that your eyes are like the deep ocean?”

“Wallace,” Steven cut in with a long suffering look on his face as he stared heavenward. “They’re more like sapphires.”

It was Wallace’s turn to look forlorn. “Why must you compare everything to rocks?”

“Sapphires aren’t rocks.” May cut in without thinking about it, recalling the library books she still had beside her bed on their final renewal. “They’re gemstones, so therefore the crystalline form of a mineral. Corundum, or aluminum oxide, I think. But they have a lot of shades to them.”

Both vampires stared at her. One in horrified surprise, the other excited. “Oh _no_ ,” Wallace recovered first, somewhat faint, “she’s like _you_.”

Steven didn’t take his eyes off her to punch his friend in the arm. Wallace let out an exaggerated yelp of pain, “It wasn’t an act then?”

May flushed under the scrutiny, leaning back from the table and resisting the urge to grab the knife from the cutlery set out in front of her. “I read some books to prepare, okay? I just… haven’t returned them yet.” The library would disagree with her. It might have to be a midnight drop-off for the return.

She was saved from further questions with the fortunate arrival of Brendan, short of breath and a stuffed fabric bag in hand. “May! Why is a warehouse on-“ Her peer drew up short when he caught sight of the two vampires with her. Belatedly, she remembered that Brendan’s senses for the supernatural was almost as strong as Wally’s. May usually had to figure it out the old-fashion way. Briefly, she wondered what he felt around these two.

He came up on her side, a smile in place even though he unconsciously flanked her. A support position. Brendan might have been the magick user between them, but May was the undisputed heavy fighter. “Hi.” He greeted friendly enough.

“Brendan.” May said, eyeing the bag he held, “Are those my change of clothes?” There must have been something to her expression that made Brendan glup and hold it away from himself like one would feed a shark. May slid out of the booth, grabbing the bag as she went with a grateful, “Thank you! I’ll be back in a bit. They likely won’t try and eat you, but if they do stab ‘em.”

She didn’t look back on her way to washroom, even as she heard Steven say with a sigh, “It’s been a long night.”

The diner’s ladies room only had two stalls and a sink. This far after midnight the restaurant was empty, but May took no chances to lock the main door behind her. She pulled out her knives first, cleaning them with fresh water and paper towel. With confidence, she opened the switchblades and making sure there was no where for the saltwater to linger and create rust. It wouldn’t be enough for a full clean- she needed her soap, and  whetstones, and oils, and cloths for that- but enough that they wouldn’t be damaged. Pulling the long, thin knife from it’s sheath in her stockings was a delicate maneuver, the saltwater clogged the strap securing the hilt to the sheath.

There was an empty place in the precise line-up where her multitool should have been on the counter. Something bitter tugged at her, a loss of a favoured tool. How many tight spots had that multitool gotten her out of- She shoved the thought aside. It got her out of another one, in the end.

After the knives were cleaned and inspected, May stripped out of her salt-crusted clothes. Using a handful of wet paper towel, she dabbed the salt away from her reddened skin. The itching digging at her skin faded with each swipe.

Wiping the water away with a clean paper towel, she turned to her face. It took a little longer, and a shower would definitely be needed, but the feel of freshly scrubbed skin was almost heavenly. Tossing the dirty towel to the side, she caught sight of the thin scar on her left palm, clenched it into a fist and dropped it to her side.

She changed into the clean clothes of a sweater and jeans. Looking like she was lazy bum of a teenager out for a meal at a diner and not caring in the least. Emerging from the bathroom refreshed, May passed by two police officers leaving a glazed expression to their eyes and a slackness to their jaws. They didn’t so much as look at her.

May blinked and paused, glancing over her shoulder as the pair left, then shrugged. At the booth, Brendan had developed a disturbing look of awe and was staring at Wallace like the vampire had hung the Moon. More interestingly though was the giant pile of fries, ketchup and gravy sitting, steaming in front of him.

Dropping the bag, she slid back into her side of the booth, not quite shoving Brendan over, and grabbed for the tray with both hands to move it in front of her. May picked up one piece of fried potato goodness and bit into it. Soggy, oily, salty, but oh so delicious. A smile crossed her face as she let out a happy sigh.

“Heathen,” Brendan muttered under his breath, awe gazing disturbed, as he moved the tray back to somewhere between them. He used a fork to stab a fry and dip it into the ketchup.

If it wasn’t for the fact there were two amused vampires watching them May would have stuck her tongue out at her peer. Instead, May rolled her eyes. There were some arguments that would never be settled, and why were these two fangs still hanging out?

As if reading her thoughts, Steven sighed and crossed his arms. Salt cracked and flaked off the suit as he did, causing Wallace to lean away with a look of disgust. “I think,” the silver haired vampire began, “we may want to consider joining forces against this Team Magma.”

May almost choked on her fry. Brendan did. Wallace though, gaped, his two needle-like fangs visible in a set of pointed teeth.

Steven ignored his friend, eyes firmly set on May’s expression. Her knee-jerk reaction was a ‘no’.  To do anything like this would require permission from their family’s heads and they’d probably have to get Wally and _his_ family on-board. But that magick-

Brendan recovered with a cough, “Uh, why the heck would we do that? I mean you seem nice and all, but...” He frowned, almost mirroring Wallace’s expression, “What on earth did you find in that warehouse?”

May took another slow bite of her fry, and pointed at Steven, “Him. Trapped in a magick circle I have never seen, Brendan, and I bet you the rest of the fries you haven’t either.” Her peer arched both brows in surprise.

She needed something that would let her make the symbols without risking any magick rising. Normally, as long as she didn’t put any will or intent into it, there was nothing to worry about. This was different- she had no idea what the symbols were for, or how they were used or how intent was displayed in.

Picking the basket of fries off the tray, May drew a incomplete circle on the paper underneath with the grease on her fingers. Then she started picking up fries and bending them into the shapes she had seen, making sure none of them were single lines.

It was silent at the table when she finished. May leaned back to let the others look.

“Your memory is impressive, May.” Steven said finally, “the symbols aren’t complete but their shape is clear.”

“Safety precaution,” Brendan answered, clearly distracted as he observed the symbols. “Wouldn’t do to blow ourselves up playing with unknown magicks.”

Wallace hummed an agreement, equally distracted, “It is not any language I am familiar with, but the library might have similar samples.” With a sigh of disgust, Brendan shoved the remainder of the fries into May’s hands.

May accepted the basket, and nibbled on a fry, still feeling the unease from this replica of old magick. After a few minutes of the ogling, destroyed the partial working with a swipe of her hand. Brendan let out a sound of protest, “Why’d you do that?”

“Because there are somethings better off left buried.” Steven replied quietly.

May nodded then shook her head and met the vampire’s gaze head on. She hoped to the spirits above she wasn’t wrong about this. “I think we should ask the Families, if the offer is genuine. This kind of magick needs to be buried and Team Magma needs to be put in its place.”

Steven’s answering smile should not have turned her stomach upside down. It did any ways.

 

~*~*~*~

 

It was a parcel left at their agreed location of the alliance, consent grudgingly given by Norman and the Prof when presented with the story off what happened minus the licking piece. Wally was involved, because like heck if Brendan and May could keep anything from him even if his family didn’t approve, and confirmed it wasn’t spelled or otherwise rigged.

May opened it hesitantly, and laughed at the sight. She picked up the new multi-tool, fancier than her old one, apparently more durable, and examined it. A card, unsigned, proclaimed in graceful cursive rested underneath, “Sorry about your old one.”


	2. Omake: Steven and Wallace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven and Wallace reflect on the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on [Tumblr](https://basicallyanidiot.tumblr.com/) and figured it deserved a second-look through. : D 
> 
> I hope you enjoy, because the plot thickens!

**Omake**

Impressively, Wallace managed a half-hour of silence after leaving the diner and the hunters behind. It was a drenching walk in the rain, droplets seeped where they fell, and the blue haired man never gave any indication that he planned to ask the questions that had to have been burning in the back of his mind. He kept quiet as they walked past the carefully blank faced expression of the building’s footman. Said nothing in the elevator up to the apartment. Never deviated from two steps behind.

Steven was starting to think he might even make it to the shower before his friend raised the questions. It was wishful thinking. No sooner than the door had shut with a click did Wallace activate the various wards for security and privacy with a word of power and turn about face.

Ignoring his friend, not quite ready to deal with the questions, Steven made his way through the dark, past the open concept kitchen and sunken living space to the bedroom. The floor to ceiling windows on the wall were covered in the blackout curtains. They had costed a small fortune to make, but worth it in the end. Steven could barely hear the rain hitting the glass. He left the bedroom door open, knowing closing it would only annoy Wallace and leave the matter unresolved.

The scents of the room were as he left them, though faded. He sat in the lone chair in the corner beside the large bed and pulled off his shoes, listening to the squish sound leather dress shoes shouldn’t make. The socks were next, and without looking he tossed them into the laundry basket. Plush carpet was comforting to rest his feet on, and Steven allowed himself to lean back, slouching in the chair.

He should have been starving. Instead, it was only a dull hunger that gnawed at him. Like he had left feeding a day or two late. Perhaps it was because the hunter had given him the blood freely? There was magick in that, and blood given freely always surpassed blood taken under thrall, or the animal blood all in the court drank nowadays. Even still the amount he had taken had been a pittance…

“Don’t fall asleep yet, Steven.” Wallace chided, stepping into the room devoid of his raincoat. He walked over to the window, and drew open the curtains. The white dress shirt he wore matched the tight fitted white jeans. Stylish as only Wallace could manage. “If you get up I can help with your clothes.”

Steven let out a faint groan of effort, but hauled himself to his bare feet. Wallace wasted no time in removing the ruined suit jacket and ascot, nose twitching in disgust as he tossed both to the trash can.

Turning back, the other man gasped at the sight of the dress shirt. Even in the pale light of the night’s rainstorm, the patches of blood were apparent. Steven kept unbuttoning the shirt, pulled it off and dropped it into his friend’s hands. “Burn it.”

Wallace’s face was impassive as he bunched the shirt, eyes on the various scabs and cuts littering Steven’s torso. One hand gripped the shirt, and Wallace snapped his fingers with the other. Smokeless blue flame flared briefly, engulfing the trashed silk, leaving nothing behind.

“Team Magma thought they were being kind by taking the jacket off.” Steven said lightly, heading for the bathroom door beside the bed to finish stripping. A shower might help with the dirtiness he felt, “Didn’t want to ruin it.”

Equally light, Wallace replied behind him, “I’ll burn everything they ever built to the ground.”

Steven laughed once, thinking of cornflower sapphire eyes and a fierce grin. Reckless and wild like tidal wave. Slow to arrive- then, instant flood. Early reports suggested there was nothing left of the warehouse- though no casualties confirmed. “May beat you to it.”

It was an opening he normally wouldn’t have given. Tiredness made him lax. Wallace wasn’t the rest of the court though, and there was no doubt in Steven’s mind that Wallace had a sly grin as he said, “May is a very charming young woman.”

“She’s a hunter. A good one.” Steven replied, turning on the water to the shower as hot as he could manage. “I owe her a life-debt. Perhaps two.” He ignored Wallace’s startled gasp and closed the door on him.

Removing his rings took another word of power, older and stronger than the one on the apartment to prevent the spells embedded into the steel from reacting, and he left them on the bathroom counter before stepping into the water.

He could have stayed in the shower for the rest of the night. The warmth chased the ocean’s chill from his bones. Being clean had never been better- though he lamented that fact the hunter’s scent was gone when he stepped out. It was surprisingly pleasant, a mix of pine and mineral oil, and its absence was regrettable. Her palm had been calloused. Her hand warm and scarred. And her blood-

Steven shook his head, and pulled on a pair of pajama pants and put each ring back on, Wallace would deal with the suit pants. Opening the door, steam flooded into the bedroom. His friend had retreated to the kitchen apparently, and a quick sniff suggested that Wallace was reheating a packet from the stash. Reheated blood tasted stale, but workable to fill the void. He’d have to get a feed in soon.

Wallace had turned on a hanging light above the stove in the kitchen island, and the blue haired man glanced up at Steven’s arrival. “Hungry?”

“Not as much I should be.” Steven slid into the stool, resting an elbow on the marble bar counter. Sleep tugged at him. Business first. While it was fresh. “I would have died there, Wallace.”

His friend tensed, visibly upset. The stirring spoon creaked in his hand, “We would never have let that happen.” Wallace relaxed suddenly, “The search parties were closing in on your location. We would have found you.”

Steven had seen the wards- that warehouse couldn’t have been found through magick means. His scent would have long been cold by the time the others found his trail. He didn’t correct his friend. “Hmm. Doesn’t matter in the end. May found me first. She broke me out.”

There was a hum as Wallace as he grabbed a bowl from the cupboard. “I take it the warehouse was her handiwork then?”

“Unintentionally.” Steven confirmed. Her multi-tool had been destroyed, he remembered suddenly. He’d have to get it replaced. “She was investigating Team Magma as well. I think she belongs to one of the Lines, though they apparently call themselves Families now.”

Wallace whistled softly, “There’s a lot of power in those bloodlines. They are original signers even.”

“She broke the door while standing still." It was a memory he wasn't likely to forget seeing 'Miss Wildgreen' on the other side of the swinging door, crushed doorhandle in her grasp. Hope only returned when she pulled out that multi-tool. "I have a feeling if May truly wanted to take me down, she could. Her friend, Brendan, the one you were trying to impress with your thrall on the officers, he knew exactly what we were when he saw us.” Steven shook his head, “What other hunters do you know can do that?”

“True but I wasn’t trying to impress him!” Wallace hissed, giving one final stir of the pot before ladling into a bowl. He grabbed a spoon and move both to the bar in front of Steven.

“Yes, Wallace. You let the officers into the diner _before_ you thralled them instead of thralling them to walk past.” Steven said dryly.

“Steven, shut up.” Wallace scoffed, “Besides, I saw the way you were looking at May.” Then more softly, he added, “I saw some of your aura on her hand. You healed her, didn’t you?”

Of course Wallace would notice that. He was a powerful vampire from a powerful clan that ate energy instead of blood. Seeing energy and the transfer of energy between people was part and parcel of his existence. “She let me feed. It seemed only polite.” Then Steven started sipping at the bowl, grimacing at the pronounced metallic taste of stale, reheated blood.

Wallace gaped at him. “May let you feed? On her? A hunter?” Then teal blue eyes narrowed at Steven, “She has absolutely no idea who you are, does she?”

With a shrug, Steven picked up the bowl and downed the rest of it to get over with. “She thinks I’m an old vampire who likes rocks.”

The twitch that ran through Wallace could have been seen in the dark. “Well,” He said tightly, “She’s not wrong.” One of Wallace’s manicured hands came up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “The court would have a field day if they found out you have been consorting with a hunter.”

“We’ve met twice. That’s hardly consorting.” Steven retorted. “And I bought a meteorite from her.”

“You owe her a life-debt and think she’s cute! And she likes rocks!” Wallace paused, “May is very lovely though. They both are. I could see Liasia and them getting along well.”

“I don’t-” Steven couldn’t quite bring himself to finish the thought.

“It’s fine, Steven” Wallace sniffed, “You have my permission to court her.”

Steven twitched, “ _You’re_ the one who needs my permission to try and court anyone.” He leaned back, eyeing his friend. “I like her, but not like that. Team Magma is a problem and needs to be dealt with. We will work with the hunters to solve this and in the meantime no one travels or hunts alone.”

Wallace considered his friend. “Of course. I will let everyone know accordingly.” Dramatically, he laid a hand on his chest and bowed, “And I will throw myself upon the sword and stay with you under the order is lifted.”

Dryly, Steven added, “Thank you, Wallace. I can’t imagine having a quiet night without you.”

“You are most welcome, Steven.” Wallace’s grin was warm, “Now, you must have a plan if you were suggesting we team-up with the hunters.”

He didn’t. Not really. Steven wasn’t about to tell Wallace that. He considered his friend, before finally asking a question that had haunted him since Team Magma asked it of him. It brought up memories of dead friends and family, of an Earth almost torn apart when everything was almost wiped from the surface of the planet. This Team Magma had no idea what they were getting themselves into. “What do you remember about The Ancient Ones?” 

Wallace’s smile faded even as the question left Steven’s lips, almost hunching in on himself.

In a whisper, so soft Steven almost didn't hear in spite of his enhanced senses, Wallace replied, “Destruction.”

**Author's Note:**

> Have questions about this AU, or want to prompt me on it? Come say 'hi' on [Tumblr](https://basicallyanidiot.tumblr.com/)


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